Underneath the Mistletoe
by Last Munichorn
Summary: Christmas one-shot set after the mid-season finale of season 4. Emma has to decide where to celebrate Christmas.


_"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"  
__― Bob Hope ―_

* * *

Emma felt like she finally had time to breathe again. The Snow Queen was defeated, Gold had – rather involuntary – left town and everything, for once, seemed okay. Of course, it wasn't, because Regina was still miserable and it was still Emma's fault. She might not have been the one to send Robin away (that was all Regina and Emma felt proud, in a way, that she'd always been right about the former Evil Queen's heart having become lighter), but Emma had brought Marian back.

Now, Christmas was rolling around and suddenly everyone was expecting things from her again. Snow and David wanted to celebrate with her and Henry – What are they? Stupid? As if she would let Regina be alone on Christmas of all days. –, Hook expected some romantic whatever and Henry had asked her to come celebrate with him and Regina at the mansion. Emma hated Christmas.

The only one not demanding anything from her was Regina and she couldn't be more thankful.

Five days left until Christmas and Emma had just gone through the excruciating process of breaking up with Hook – not that he was _any_ understanding ("But you love me!"). It has been long overdue anyway. Her heart just wasn't in it. A part of her knew why, but the other part of her was still too confused and full of questions to admit it.

She already knew where she wanted to spend Christmas; she just needed a way to tell Snow and David. How do you tell your parents, who have already missed 28 years of your life, that you don't want to spend Christmas with them? It's not even that she didn't want to. There's just somewhere else that she would rather be.

Four days left until Christmas and she had told Snow and David. David was surprisingly fine with it. He seemed to know something that no one else did. Snow, although at first very upset, was okay once Emma agreed to spend Christmas Eve with the two of them and Neal instead. They agreed to invite Henry and Regina out to dinner on the 26th.

The moment she left the apartment, she shot off a text message to Henry: "Hey Kid! Tell your mom I'm in and I expect amazing food and a large cup of coffee for getting up so early!" She didn't feel brave enough to write Regina instead. On Christmas, she vowed to herself, she'd tell her. She'd finally get over herself and accept that she had been in love with Regina since Neverland. She had been too cowardly back then and all of a sudden, the new curse hit and Henry and her had to leave. From then on, everything had been a complete mess. She didn't want to waste this moment of quiet. It was now or never. Who knew how many more Disney villains there were in Storybrooke, just waiting to irritate her.

Three days left until Christmas and Emma was over it. She didn't want to wait any longer. She needed to do this now or she'd lose her nerve. But it only took her half of the walk there to chicken out and turn around again.

Two days left until Christmas and Emma knew the reason she was still such a coward was because there were so many questions, questions that she didn't dare ask. Henry was with her parents at the moment and, since she promised Snow she'd spend Christmas Eve with them, today was her last chance of talking to Regina alone.

When she finally arrived at 108 Mifflin Street (this time by car; shorter way meant less time to be a coward), she gripped the steering wheel tightly. This was scary, very scary. Emma had never been good with relationships or anything involving feelings. She didn't grow up with many feelings. She grew up with abandonment and resentment towards families and happy people.

Suddenly, a knock startled Emma from her thoughts and when she turned her head to see who was intruding, it was no other than Regina herself, the woman that made her head swim. Sighing and knowing there was no way out of this anymore, she rolled down the window of her yellow bug.

"Ms Swan, is there a reason that you've set camp outside my house in your disgusting vehicle?"

"Is there a reason that you still insist on calling me 'Ms Swan'? Is this some weird kink that I should know of?" Emma wanted to slap her forehead the second she finished her sentence. She winced and looked up at the former mayor, only to be greeted with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate."

"It's fine, dear. Is there a reason why you're here? Is Henry alright?"

"I came to talk to you, actually."

"And did you want to do that in your dirty bug or did you actually plan to come in at some point? It's rather cold, so I don't really feel like having whatever conversation you want to have out here."

Emma looked the brunette up and down, only now realizing that she wasn't wearing her coat and had her arms crossed in front of her chest – oh, that cleavage – to ward off the cold. "Oh, of course, I'm sorry," Emma babbled as she rolled her window back up and, as Regina stepped aside a little, opened the door.

Once they were seated in the living room, Emma with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in front of her (the perfect amount of cinnamon on top, of course) and Regina with a cup of tea, the blonde sighed heavily. How to start?

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I , erm, I –"

"You want to go back to New York, don't you?"

"What? No! Why would you think that?"

"Well, you're scared of what you're about to say and the last time I saw you this unsure you were about to pack up our son and leave me behind yet again."

"I have never left you behind before. The curse does not count. It was _your_ decision, not mine!" the blonde sighed. She didn't want to fight. She didn't come here for this.

"But you wanted to after Zelena was defeated."

"Look, that's not why I'm here, Regina. I'm not going anywhere and neither is Henry."

"Then why –"

"Why the turnover? Why not just kill me or let me leave? Why use some stupid fairytale magic thing instead of just getting rid of me completely or letting me leave town? I gave up and you still didn't have enough. Why?"

"That's why you're here? After all these years?"

"Just tell me."

"Killing you would have broken the curse," she said drily.

"You could have let me leave. Cursing me was sure to make Henry upset but you still tried to anyway. Why?"

"I – I don't know. It just felt right at the moment," the former mayor says unsure.

"Bullshit, Regina. Why?"

"I don't –"

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want you to leave, okay? I didn't want you to leave but I wanted you gone all the same because Henry kept pulling away from me. I can't explain. I just – I don't know, Emma."

The blonde frowned. She wasn't sure what answer she had expected, but this wasn't it. She didn't know what to do with that information.

So, she did what she did best. She ran. She got up, her cup of cocoa still untouched (for a second she considered quickly downing it, knowing just how good Regina's hot cocoas were but she didn't allow herself to), and walked towards the door.

"Emma, listen –"

"I'm not mad, Regina. Just, I need some time, okay?"

"Are you still coming over for Christmas?"

"Of course! I'll be there bright and early and I expect awesome gifts as well as lots of amazing food!"

"Sure you do," the brunette replied, shaking her head with a tiny smile on her lips.

"Thank you, Regina."

"For what?"

"Being honest."

The brunette stared at her, almost desperately, as if trying to figure out how to make this right and, quite honestly, it tore Emma apart to see that look on Regina's face and know that she caused it. Instead of letting her mind think her out of it another million times, she took a step forward, held the brunettes face in both of her hands and pressed her lips against the brunette's lovingly. It was supposed to be short, nothing but a loving peck but when she was about to step back, the brunette tightly grabbed at her hips and pulled her back in, kissing her deeper.

The raw passion took Emma by surprise and her breath caught in her throat for a second, needing to pull back. Not too far though. She let her forehead rest on Regina's lightly and took a deep breath, trying to calm down her racing heart.

"Where did that come from?" The older woman's voice was quiet and soft and Emma could feel her hot breath on her lips, just inches away from hers.

She thought for a moment, trying to figure out whether now was the right moment for that big talk to happen and decided that it really wasn't. So, instead, she quickly ripped of a branch from a nearby bush and held it above their heads.

She looked up real quick and smiled as her eyes fell onto Regina's chocolate orbs again. "Well, it says you need to kiss when you stand underneath a mistletoe, right?"

"That is _not_ a mistletoe, dear," the former mayor told her, a warm expression still lingering on her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My mistake. Next time, I'll take a closer look first!" She smirked at the brunette one last time before she turned around and walked towards her bug. Before she climbed in, however, she turned around one last time. "I'll see you in 36 hours, Madam Mayor!"

Yes, Emma loved Chrismtas!

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**Just a short one-shot to surprise my best friend. Hope you enjoyed it. I've never written SQ before, so be kind ;) It's almost Christmas after all :)  
**


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